A. Gracie King
Archibald Gracie King | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Everton, England |
| Died | March 21, 1897 (aged 75) Near Weehawken, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Financier |
| Known for | Senior partner at James G. King & Son; president of the Institution for the Savings of Merchants' Clerks |
Archibald Gracie King (July 11, 1821 – March 21, 1897) was a distinguished American financier.
Early life
Born in Everton, England, King was the son of Sarah Rogers (née Gracie) King and James G. King, who previously served as President of the New York and Erie Railroad and represented New Jersey in the U.S. Congress. His family included notable siblings such as the banker Edward King.
On his father's side, his grandparents were Mary Alsop King, daughter of the merchant John Alsop, and Rufus King, who was New York's inaugural U.S. Senator and held multiple terms as U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom under early American presidents. His maternal grandfather, Archibald Gracie, was a Scottish-born shipping entrepreneur and an early merchant in America.
King received his education both in the United States and Switzerland, attending Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg’s institution near Bern before earning his degree from Harvard College in 1840, following the path set by his father.
Career
Following his graduation from Harvard, King began working at Prime, Ward & King as a clerk and became a partner by 1844. Two years later, he and his family established James G. King & Son, led initially by his father until 1853 when Archibald assumed the role of senior partner.
He held various leadership roles at the Institution for the Savings of Merchants' Clerks: trustee in 1861, treasurer in 1865, and president starting in 1873. After relocating to New Jersey in 1881 and retiring from active business, he resigned due to residency rules for trustees in New York. Additionally, King was affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York and acted as a trustee for the Metropolitan Trust Company.
Personal life
King married Elizabeth Denning Duer (1821–1900) on May 8, 1845. She was the daughter of William Alexander Duer, who served as the seventh President of Columbia University, and came from a lineage with strong political ties. Their children included:
- Gracie King (1846–1846), who passed away in infancy.
- Maria Denning King (1848–1925), an author who wed John King Van Rensselaer, thereby connecting to the prominent Van Rensselaer family.
- Sara Gracie King (1850–1931), married Frederic Bronson in 1875; following his death, she remarried banker Adrian George Iselin Jr. in 1914.
- Frederick Gore King (1852–1937), a Harvard alumnus and banker who served as secretary and treasurer of the Knickerbocker Trust Company. He married Jessie Arklay in 1877 and later wed Marion Morrison, librarian at the New York Society Library.
- Alexander Duer King (1856–1857), who died during infancy.
Archibald Gracie King died from bronchitis on March 21, 1897, at his estate "Highwood" located near Weehawken, New Jersey. His funeral took place at Calvary Church in New York City, with interment at Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica, Queens.
Descendants
Among his grandchildren through Maria were John Alexander Van Rensselaer, who married Helen F. Galindo in 1896 and was arrested in 1908 for attempting to extort $5,000 from his mother; and Frederick Harold Van Rensselaer (1874–1903), husband to Josephine Lucy Grinnell, daughter of Robert Minturn Grinnell and Sophie Van Alen.
Through Sara’s lineage came Elizabeth Duer Bronson (1877–1914), who married Ambassador Lloyd Carpenter Griscom, son of shipping magnate Clement Griscom.
From Frederick’s descendants emerged Alice Gore King, known for her work as a women's rights advocate and entrepreneur.